Europe

On 10th anniversary, Pirate Bay launches PirateBrowser to evade filesharing blocks

"The PirateBrowser website explains that the application combines Tor client Vidalia – which anonymises data connections – with the FireFox Portable Edition browser, the FoxyProxy add-on and 'some custom configs'. The site also claims that the browser is an anti-censorship tool rather than purely for piracy, citing countries including Iran and North Korea alongside the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Italy and Ireland as places it expects PirateBrowser to be particularly useful." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOn 10th anniversary, Pirate Bay launches PirateBrowser to evade filesharing blocks

A territorial tax system would help U.S. exports, jobs and prosperity

"Germany, a territorial tax country where wage levels are higher than in the U.S. and which has the highest job-creating 12-month trade surplus in the world of $248.5 billion, has its record lowest unemployment rate in 21 years. Germany doesn’t subject its citizens living abroad on top of the tax they pay their host countries, so Germans relocate abroad and capture foreign markets. Americans, unable to survive this double taxation, stay home, and the U.S. continues to lose export market share. The 'fruits' of the U.S. world-wide tax systems are a $721.8 billion 12-month world-trade deficit and $315 billion trade deficit with China." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA territorial tax system would help U.S. exports, jobs and prosperity

Greek youth unemployment soars to 64.9% as Biden claims stake in Greece’s success

"Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras will hold talks with US President Barack Obama later on Thursday. Mr Samaras is keen to secure US approval for stimulus policies for Greece's recession-hit economy, in contrast to the austerity emphasis preferred by many of its European partners, most notably Germany. US vice president Joe Biden said America had 'a stake' in Greece's economic recovery and wanted the crisis-hit nation to stay in the eurozone. 'The administration has always taken the view that it's overwhelmingly in our interest to have Greece remain a strong and vital part of the eurozone,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreek youth unemployment soars to 64.9% as Biden claims stake in Greece’s success

Greece becoming new Kosovo as youth jobless hits 65%

"Latest data from the Greek statistics agency showed the overall jobless rate rose to 27.6pc in May, despite a mass exodus of the best-educated young workers to the US, Australia, Britain and Germany. The figure is likely to rise further as Athens lays off 15,000 public sector workers by the end of next month to comply with European Union-International Monetary Fund (EU-IMF) Troika demands. EU economics chief Olli Rehn said Greek austerity was 'difficult but necessary', and should bear fruit in 2014. The IMF expects public debt to spiral to 176pc this year, and has warned EMU creditor states that they will have to provide substantial debt relief." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreece becoming new Kosovo as youth jobless hits 65%

Iran Tanker Owner Seen Expanding Fleet by IHS Amid Sanctions

"NITC, Iran’s biggest tanker company, increased the capacity of its supertanker fleet by 23 percent this year amid sanctions related to the nation’s nuclear program that bar most of the world’s ships from carrying Iranian crude, according to IHS Maritime. NITC has 37 supertankers and its entire fleet can hold about 86 million barrels of oil, equal to 65 days of the nation’s exports, IHS data show. European Union sanctions that started in July 2012 prevent most non-Iranian tankers from hauling the country’s crude because almost all ships are insured under the 28-nation bloc’s laws." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIran Tanker Owner Seen Expanding Fleet by IHS Amid Sanctions

SpaceX to launch radar satellite network for Germany

"Privately owned Space Exploration Technologies won a two-flight contract to launch a radar satellite network for Germany, the company announced on Thursday. SpaceX will launch a trio of spacecraft that comprise a radar reconnaissance network for Germany’s defense department. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket so far has flown five times – all successfully – including three missions to launch cargo capsules to the International Space Station for NASA. The privately owned firm, founded and operated by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, also is competing to provide flight services for NASA astronauts to and from the station." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSpaceX to launch radar satellite network for Germany

Fox News host demands escalation of nuclear hostilities with Russia over Snowden

"Fox News host Gregg Jarrett on Thursday suggested that President Barack Obama should pull out of nuclear treaties and send missiles to Europe after Russian President Vladimir Putin granted asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that the U.S. was cancelling plans to put long-range missile defense interceptors in Poland. Moscow had refused to move forward with additional nuclear arms cuts unless the system was scrapped. Three other phases, including short-range missiles in Poland, were expected to be rolled out as planned." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFox News host demands escalation of nuclear hostilities with Russia over Snowden

How the Vatican built a secret property empire using Mussolini’s millions

"Behind a disguised offshore company structure, the church's international portfolio has been built up over the years, using cash originally handed over by Mussolini in return for papal recognition of the Italian fascist regime in 1929. Since then the international value of Mussolini's nest-egg has mounted until it now exceeds £500m. In 2006, at the height of the recent property bubble, the Vatican spent £15m of those funds to buy 30 St James's Square. Other UK properties are at 168 New Bond Street and in the city of Coventry. It also owns blocks of flats in Paris and Switzerland." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow the Vatican built a secret property empire using Mussolini’s millions

IMF to Germany: “Fiscal over-performance should be firmly avoided”

"The two have clashed at each stage of the crisis, with the Bundesbank deriding the IMF as the 'Inflation Maximising Fund' under the control of Keynesians who have overstepped their 'institutional and legal' authority. The rebukes have infuriated the IMF Board members, especially those from Asia, Latin America, which think the Fund has been doing Germany’s work for it. They grumble that the IMF has been dragged into ill-designed rescue packages, and that the lion’s share of IMF resources have been used to prop up the currency experiment of rich countries well able to clean up their own mess." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIMF to Germany: “Fiscal over-performance should be firmly avoided”

French woman offers to breast feed gay couples’ babies for $130 a day

"A woman has posted an offer on a French website to breast-feed babies of homosexual male couples for 100 euros ($130) a day, stirring up media interest just weeks after a divisive same-sex marriage law was passed. The offer, addressed to male homosexual couples who can marry legally in France since May, promises up to 10 breast-feeds a day. Alexandre Woog, chief executive of the e-loue website, said staff had no doubt about the seriousness of the proposal. 'Our legal advisers are sure of this. It’s illegal in France to sell maternal milk but this is a person proposing a service, not selling the milk in flasks,' Woog told Reuters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench woman offers to breast feed gay couples’ babies for $130 a day